The Ministry of National Defense in China has revealed its plans to host the fifth Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense and Security Forum from November 20 to 29, as announced on Friday.
The summit will bring together defence officials, experts, and scholars from SCO member states, observer states, and dialogue partner countries, Xinhua reported.
With a focus on three global initiatives and regional defence and security cooperation, the forum will include expert lectures, discussions, and site visits.
Permanent members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, and Iran, will participate in this gathering.
According to experts, the fifth SCO Defense and Security Forum holds international significance due to the instability in the Middle East and the possibility of proxy wars in the region.
Belarus and Mongolia, along with Afghanistan as observer members, and Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Nepal, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia as dialogue partner countries, are part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The forum aims to strengthen mutual understanding and trust among participating military forces, collectively explore ways to enhance defence and security cooperation within the SCO framework and contribute to building a more closely-knit SCO community with a shared future, as stated by the ministry.
